The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1887-03-03
WATTERSON'S JOKES.
Murat Halstead the Victim-Interesting z
ReportoriaI Experience.

, Murat Halstead the tictim-Interesting z
| ReportoriaI Experience.
Il don't know that L can say any
! thing that will be of interest," said
Henry Watterson to reporter as he
and John Russell Young did penance
for the Clover Clubs dinner over bot
tie Of ginger ale i'll the Union League
cafe to-day. Il have about worked
myself dry in the columns OF the Coasy-
aeF-JOura!at since 1 returned from Eu-
| rope, and have taken week 5 holiday
| to give its readers a rest. l think iii
terV1eWlng newspaper man is like
| carrying Goals to Newcastle. Once in
awhile, however, l think good inter
view quite healthy, aud | ALWAYS was
of an accommodating disposition.
"A few years ago Murat Halstead,
Horace White, and myself went to Bos-
ton to hear Carl Schurz deliver his ora
ton on Charles Sumner. 1t was right
after Summers death, and Mr. Schurz
was one of our party. On our way
back to New York we picked up Sam
Bowles at Springfield. Mass. and he
accompanied US to New York, where We
had a little dinner party at the Bre-
WORT House. While the dinner was
in progress and the most intricate
problems of National Government were
being solved, word was brought in that
representative of the New York
World desired to see Mr. Watterson.
Il went down into the hotel Office
and there found a little baldheaded
man, who said his name was Oxford.
He asked me if my name was Waiter
son, and promptly told him it was
not. politely informed him that Mr..
Watterson was engaged and could not
be disturbed. l told him my name was
Halstead and expressed my willingness
to accommodate him if could Mr.
Halstead was at that time agitatin" the
coinage of silver and-well, l inter-
viewed Mr.. Oxford. | denounced the
Silver bill in unmeasured terms. |
spoke vigorously in favor of increased
gold coinage, and expressed the opin-
ion that greenback currency was the
backbone of financial prosperity. |
declaimed against Capitalization, and
declared in favor of State rights There
was not IN expressed opinion of Mr..
Halstead's | did not reverse, and when
the neck with facts. The next day the
World had Il two-column interview with
Murat Halstead that Just made Mr.
Halstead wish he had never been born.
He wrote to the editor denying that he
had seen or spoken to a World reporter
or any other reporter, and that the
whole interview was a fabrication. The
World published his denial with the fol-
lowing editorial comment; when the
World reporter interviewed Mr. Hal
stead yesterday Mr.. HaIstead had Just
been dining with Mr.. Watterson.' For
long time expected Halstead to call
me out, but he finally forgave me-
The first piece of reporting did
was for Forney's Press said Mr.
Young. 1T was an account of the re-
ceptiOn of John Browns body at the
old Philadelphia, Wilmington & Balti-
more station. George Alfred Town
send and | used to do Select and Com
mon Council for the Press along in 1860
and 1861, l got 81 week and Town
send got s.. Watterson was Washing
ton correspondent of the Press at the
time and got about $40 week
Yes, that's about the figure, - said
Mr., Watterson, land | used to write
some pretty good letters, too-letters
that were pretty extensively copied all
over the country"
Now, the first editorial work ever
did, added Mr.. Watterson, s.was on
the CiceronidR, the official journal of
the old Episcopal Academy, at Juniper
aud Locust streets. Old DR. Hare was
Principal of the academy, and charm
ing man he was, too. I had fer assO-
ciate Editors Ed. n. Benson, now
President of the Union League, and
George c. Thomas OF the firm of Drexel
4 Co, Frank Mclaughlin printed the
paper in his printing-Otfice i'll Third
street, between Chestnut and Walnut
streets. That was i'll 1856 and 1886.
Mr.. Watterson changed his drink
and resumed his "reminiscences: The
hardest work | ever did, said he, ''was
two months for $lu week and two
months tor $l5 week. That four
months work, however, ultimately net
ted me $l5, 900. 1t was right after the
War, and | was employed a. editorial
writer for the Nashville Banner. which
had been completely prostrated by the
War. | put i'll the hardest work ever
did in those four months and built the
paper up. In recognition of my ,ser-
vices | was presented with One-foulth
interest i'll the paper. which | afterward
sold for $l5 900. Philadelphia DtS-
patch.